Zelten from Trentino, the Christmas cake my grandmother used to make. You know, I’ve told you many times: Grandma Fernanda was from Mori (Trentino) and even though I’m Sicilian and the cooking on my blog mostly reflects that, there are many Northern dishes I love very much, like the Piedmontese Bonet, Panettone or Panforte from Siena, and more! When Christmas arrived, for example, and throughout the Advent season and the holidays, grandma made zelten which she called “selten” (from the German word meaning “rarely”), because this rich and costly cake could only be made on rare occasions. The Trentino zelten, soft and full of dried fruit, was our festive cake and when we visited grandma at that time of year, we knew we would find it. Rich in walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, dried figs, dates, raisins, candied fruit and more, the soft and aromatic zelten was a constant; with her passing it became a sweet memory. We all loved it, and when I started dating the man who would become my husband, he liked it so much that grandma even made it for him in August! Since grandma passed away 14 years ago, neither my sisters nor my mother or aunt tried to make it—perhaps for fear of being disappointed and not finding that exact flavor. A few days ago, though, remembering the happiest moments with her, I had an irresistible desire to try a cake I hadn’t eaten in a long time, maybe to relive those old sensations. Unfortunately there is no grandma’s zelten recipe, since, like many of her recipes, she made it by eye. Searching a bit online and putting together what seemed the right combination of ingredients and comparing notes with my memories, my daughter Irene and I managed to make a cake very similar to what grandma used to prepare. I even had my uncle taste it and it made him happy! Now it’s time to run to the kitchen: our Trentino-Alto Adige zelten—soft and aromatic—is just waiting to be made! Before heading to the kitchen, it’s worth noting that, like all traditional recipes, there isn’t a single definitive version and every family has its own and that the Trentino zelten, tall and soft, is very different from the Tyrolean one, both in appearance and texture.

If you want to stay updated on all my recipes, you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).

If you’re looking for other traditional Christmas desserts, take a look at:

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Very expensive
Rest time: 6 Hours
Preparation time: 1 Hour
Portions: 10
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Winter

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup rye flour (or whole wheat flour)
6 oz dried figs (chopped)
3/4 cup raisins
1/3 cup dates (pitted)
to taste orange zest (organic)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
to taste lemon zest (organic)
1/4 cup candied orange peel
2 tablespoons candied citron (candied citron, chopped)
1/4 cup pine nuts
3.4 fl oz grappa
3/4 cup butter (soft)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups walnuts (shelled, chopped)
2.1 oz sliced almonds
2.1 oz hazelnuts (toasted and chopped)
3.5 oz mixed candied fruit (macedonia)
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (about 10 g)
3.5 oz dried apricots (optional)
as needed milk (about 3 tbsp (50 ml), to adjust the batter)
2 tablespoons honey (for finishing)
as needed candied cherries (red and green for finishing)
1 tablespoon water
as needed blanched almonds (for finishing)

Tools

Cake pan springform pan 10 1/4 in
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Spatulas silicone
Oven

Preparation of the Zelten

Chop the figs and the pitted dates and, in my case, the dried apricots that grandma always used. Put them in a bowl with the raisins, pour over the grappa and let them macerate for 6 hours.
Cream the butter with the sugar, add the eggs one at a time, letting each one incorporate before adding the next, and add the honey.
Gently fold in the flours and the baking powder using a spatula. Add the chopped hazelnuts, most of the chopped walnut kernels, the sliced or blanched and chopped almonds, most of the pine nuts, the fruit macerated in grappa, the vanilla extract, the cinnamon, grated orange and lemon zest, a pinch of salt, the chopped candied orange and citron pieces and also 3–4 candied cherries (red and green) cut into small pieces. Mix gently and, if the mixture seems too dry, adjust with a little milk.
Spread the mixture into a 9–10 1/4 inch springform pan (lined with parchment) and decorate with the blanched almonds, candied cherries, pine nuts and remaining walnuts.
Bake in a conventional oven at 320°F for 50 minutes and finish baking for another 10 minutes at 356°F with the fan on (if using only a conventional oven, bake 1 hour at 338°F). Always perform the toothpick test before turning off the oven.
Leave the cake in the switched-off oven (warm) for another 15 minutes, then take it out, let it warm up a bit and unmold.
Serve at room temperature. Store under a glass dome for up to 1 week or until it becomes too dry.
Happy Holidays!